The NHL was the only professional sports league in North America that did not postpone games Wednesday in protest of the shooting of Jacob Blake by police, a decision that drew criticism from two prominent players.
“The NHL is always bothered by the party on these issues,” Minnesota Wilds defender Matt Dumba, a Filipino-Canadian, told Sportsnet 650 in Vancouver.
Dumba, who earlier this month became the first NHL player to kneel during the national anthem, added that ‘it’s kind of sad and discouraging for me and members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, and I’m sure for others boys in the league. But if no one comes up and does something, then it’s the same. That silence. You’re just out there, you look forward to actually being leaders and calling for real change when you have such an opportunity to do so. ”
The NBA has postponed all three of its playoff games Wednesday in Orlando after the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play at 4 p.m., in response to the police shooting in which Blake, a seemingly unarmed black man in Kenosha, Wis. ., Which is less than 45 minutes from Milwaukee. ,
Within hours, several MLB, WNBA, and MLS games – the NFL is still in training camp – were postponed in the direction of players as protests around the country resumed. NBA players are also looking to call off the rest of the postseason and leave the bubble in which they were isolated last month.
But the NHL, notoriously lagging behind others on social causes, has for the most part done business as usual.
According to ESPN, a moment of silence was observed in the pregame parts of Wednesday’s games, and a video screen read “End Racism” in the Toronto arena where one part of the NHL playoff is being played .
Ahead of the Boston Bruins-Tampa Bay Lightning game, which began at 8 p.m., the public address broadcaster acknowledged that “Racism has been embedded in our society for too long,” adding that the NHL is “committed.” “is for combating racial justice. ,
After the game, which Boston lost 7-1, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara said that by the time he and his teammates arrived at the rink and knew about the other postponements, it was too late for them to discuss the matter and possibly the same.
“We support the fight against racism and injustice,” Chara told reporters. There are different ways to express that fight. NBA players expressed their views on the matter by boycotting the games today. We support NBA players and all leagues that have shown that support. ”
The Avalanche and Stars played a game that began at 8:30 p.m., about four hours after the show began to take place.
San Jose Sharks star forward Evander Kane, who is black, helped form the Hockey Diversity Alliance with Dumba in early June following the assassination of George Floyd’s police in an effort to eradicate “racism and intolerance in hockey” . “
He also expressed disappointment over the NHL’s response.
“I’m going to be honest, I actually did not hear much about the attempted murder of Jacob Blake,” Kane told Sportsnet. “It is unfortunate, we are talking about another black man who is not armed, shot in the back for his children.
“But again, we had these conversations earlier with the assassination of George Floyd to continue the conversation, to promote the conversation, everyone wants to be better and make sure we speak more often and that we can move forward better. Unfortunately, here’s another example , but it is also another example of the lack of concern regarding our league and our players and our media who handle our game.
Dumba and Kane were not alone in expressing their dissatisfaction.
Former NHL goalie Kelly Hrudey, who is white and an analyst for ‘Hockey Night in Canada,’ said, ‘I do not think we should be here. I think the NHL should postpone the games. I really feel we need to support Black Lives Matter more. ”
Hockey has long struggled with racism, and that was reinforced several months before the United States cracked down on racism, when Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters resigned after former NHLer Akim Aliu Peters accused him of using racial slurs for ten years ago in the minor leagues.
Aliu helped create the Hockey Diversity Alliance.
Blake, 29, was shot seven times in the back by Kenosha police officer as he approached his car on Sunday in an incident that was caught on camera and ricocheted over social media. Blake’s family said he was paralyzed from the waist down. The shooting is currently under investigation and the officer was placed on leave.
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